Old homes have a certain charm to them. If you have seen one in your neighbourhood, you will see that there is a level of personality only these kinds of houses seem to have. They boast architectural styles that are no longer done anymore like long corridors, humongous living room windows, solid plaster walls, and so on.
Living in an old house is definitely something you can boast about because of those big unique finds. But if you already live in one, you know how hard it is to maintain and improve it. You do not want to ruin the antique vibe, but you cannot just ignore some of its aging signs. So you look for interior designers whose specialties include working with old houses, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and so on. Sometimes you are lucky if you find affordable construction finds like cheap lumber, inexpensive paint and even used forklifts for sale.
If you are about to start renovating your old house, here are some of the major refurbishing problems you can prepare for.
Unsafe materials used for building the house
There is a good chance a house has lead in its paint and asbestos in ceilings, flooring, and so on if it has existed for several decades. In itself, these are not really harmful to the health. But because you are renovating, you are bound to scrape it somehow or cut, and the powder which results from that is what makes it dangerous. You will need to have the paint tested by doing hiring a professional.
Some of these materials are not available anymore
Obviously, construction codes and materials were very different back then. This is exactly part of what makes it such a fun find, there is a small chance you will have the same kind of architectural style within the radius of your neighbourhood. But this also makes it hard to maintain that vintage vibe. You will need to find alternative materials to improve the house and still maintain its personality.
Various plumbing and electrical problems
Even during the time your house was built, it probably had a lot of piping problems already because it most likely used galvanized pipes. Those pipes usually clog often so you will want to replace those. Additionally, old electrical wires are very dangerous. Hire a professional to get these fixed for you to the safety hazards out of the way.
Problematic improvements done in the past
Because your house has existed for many years, it has naturally changed owners very often. This means that the renovations done would have been sporadic. Each owner usually has a focus, one idea they want to try out on the house, some of these home improvements will be a little problematic. So, with a professional, go around the house and see which ones will cause you too many problems.
Owning an old house is definitely cool and awesome. But maintaining it could be a bit expensive, so you need to prepare a budget per redesign project you will do. Take these into consideration and make the proper plans for it.
